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The last two countries announced their 4 Nations Roster and the Toronto Maple Leafs were well represented.
With the 4 Nations Face-Off taking place next February, teams are coming together as the international battle for supremacy will no doubt capture the attention of fans.
Sweden and Finland already announced their rosters with two Toronto Maple Leafs represented with Jani Hakanpaa for Finland and William Nylander for Sweden.
Canada and the United States were also taking note of some very familiar names as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have been named to their respective teams.
Matthews will don the red, white, and blue as he takes the ice alongside some pretty hefty players like Brock Nelson, the Tkachuk Brothers, Chris Kreider and Brock Faber. It will be Matthews' 6th time representing the United States after various junior hockey nominations.
Even though he missed basically the entirety of November, there's no denying Matthews would earn himself a spot. Last year's leading goal-scorer is going to be a dangerous weapon for Team USA as they try and use their size and skill to control the game.
Even though he's missed a month, Matthews is still enjoying a solid season with 15 points in 14 games and recently returned to the team and made an instant impact.
Marner will join Team Canada as the only Maple Leaf although there were conversations that potentially teammate Chris Tanev would join as well though that's not the case.
Enjoying an electric season with the Maple Leafs, Marner has scored 33 points in 24 games (9 goals, 24 assists) and led the team in the wake of Matthews' injury. Without him, the team would be nowhere near as successful as they have been a quarter of the way through the season.
Marner joins Team Canada for the 4th time as he joins up with some pretty prominent Canadian players such as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon among a slew of future Hall of Famers.
It will be a friendly competition between teammates and it's great to see each country be represented by a Toronto Maple Leafs player.
The Four Nations Face-Off is scheduled to take place from February 12-20.
More must-reads:
- Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
- Texas' Arch Manning has concern on OL after season-ending injury
- The 'NBA playoff point-per-game leaders' quiz
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Boston Bruins Bleak 2025-26 Outlook Raises Concerns
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Minnesota Vikings roster move ahead of night practice raises major cause for concern for injured rookie
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Spurs risk roster issues with De'Aaron Fox extension
When the San Antonio Spurs traded for De'Aaron Fox midway through last season, their guard rotation appeared to be wide open. Stephon Castle was the only other long-term ball-handling prospect on the roster and, despite a strong year, was still a rookie. However, the NBA Draft has seen the addition of Dylan Harper, another young guard with All-Star potential, and the ability to one day lead the Spurs franchise next to Victor Wembanyama. Harper's addition and Castle's emergence as the 2025 Rookie of the Year raised questions about Fox's fit and long-term future in Texas. The problem was that Fox was eligible for an extension this summer. On Monday the Spurs inked Fox to a four-year $229M deal, with no player option for the final year. The new contract, which will see Fox earn approximately $57.25M per year, will kick in next summer. Suddenly, San Antonio has a young guard rotation of Harper, Castle and Fox, all of whom struggle to score on the perimeter, and have shown issues when letting shots fly off the dribble. "The Spurs already had two point guards who struggled from distance in Stephon Castle, whom they spent the No. 4 overall pick on in 2024, and De'Aaron Fox, whom they acquired in a deal with the Sacramento Kings ahead of the February trade deadline," Bryan Toporek wrote for Forbes on Saturday. "Castle shot 28.5% from deep on 4.1 attempts per game as a rookie, while Fox is a career 33.0% three-point shooter who has shot 32.5% or worse from downtown in five of his seven NBA seasons." Fox's new salary will ensure teams will think twice about trading for him. He is, after all, a high-level talent, but not one capable of spearheading a roster. In truth, San Antonio may have repeated the Chicago Bulls' error from when they paid Zach LaVine $215M over five years back in 2022. We saw how difficult it was for Chicago to move on from LaVine. Fox is a tertiary star on a contending roster. And now, he's being paid like one of the top talents in the NBA. The Spurs would have been wiser to cut their losses with Fox and build around Castle and Harper as their guard rotation. Still, the decision has been made, and Fox is now cemented as the lead guard for the next half a decade (once you include the upcoming season), giving Castle and Harper room to grow as two guards who can complement Fox's play style and add some grit or explosiveness to the rotation. San Antonio is a franchise that rarely puts a foot wrong. However, the decision to pay Fox may come back to haunt it as a costly misstep. In the modern NBA, you can't have three non-shooting guards in the same rotation. Yet, somehow, head coach Mitch Johnson must figure out how to make it work. Not the greatest task for a young coach heading into his first full season with the franchise.
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade
Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.
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